Thousands of asylum seekers, including an unknown number of Kenyans, face a deeply uncertain future after the Trump administration abruptly halted all asylum decisions late Friday. The move plunges a global system into chaos and directly impacts Kenyan families who rely on these legal pathways to escape persecution and seek safety.

The indefinite pause was announced by Joseph Edlow, the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), in the wake of a deadly shooting in Washington D.C. allegedly carried out by an Afghan national who had been granted asylum. Edlow stated the freeze would last "until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible."

This directive is more than just a procedural halt; it is the latest in a string of aggressive immigration policies that could effectively seal America's borders to the world's most vulnerable. The decision follows a pledge by President Donald Trump to "permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries," a vague but ominous threat that has sent shockwaves across Africa and other developing regions.

A Chilling Effect on Kenyan Hopes

For Kenyans seeking refuge in the United States, this policy shift is devastating. While precise, up-to-the-minute numbers are difficult to obtain, historical data shows a steady stream of Kenyans applying for asylum. As of 2022, over 7,500 applications from Kenyans were reported. This new freeze slams the door shut without warning.

The directive instructs USCIS officers to continue interviewing and processing cases up to the final step, but to issue no final decisions. The internal guidance is stark: "Once you've reached decision entry, stop and hold." This leaves applicants in a painful limbo, unable to move forward with their lives or secure the safety they sought.

This move compounds an already challenging environment for Kenyans navigating the U.S. immigration system.

• As of November 2024, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had already targeted 1,282 Kenyan nationals for deportation.
• Between 2021 and 2024, 128 Kenyans were deported from the U.S.
• President Trump's broader immigration plans aim to end birthright citizenship and increase deportations, policies that would severely impact the Kenyan diaspora.

A Pretext for a Wider Crackdown?

The policy was triggered by a tragic shooting near the White House where a National Guard member was killed. The suspect, an Afghan national, was granted asylum earlier this year under the Trump administration after entering the U.S. in 2021 during the Biden administration's evacuation from Afghanistan. President Trump immediately labeled the incident a "terrorist attack" and used it to justify a sweeping re-examination of the entire immigration system.

However, analysts and human rights advocates warn that using an isolated criminal act to dismantle the entire asylum system is a disproportionate response. The asylum process already involves extensive vetting by multiple government agencies. Critics argue the freeze is less about security and more about fulfilling a long-standing political goal of drastically reducing all forms of immigration.

While the administration has not specified which nations fall under its "Third World" designation, the rhetoric has stoked fear and uncertainty. For countless Kenyans who have played by the rules and placed their faith in the U.S. legal system, that faith is now being tested like never before. Their futures hang in the balance, caught in a political storm thousands of kilometres from home.